1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to display racks. More particularly, the present invention is related to display racks having follower assemblies supported on a track that is laterally repositionable relative to a supporting shelf
2. Description of the Related Art
Shelving assemblies are used to display products in stores of all types. Due to the fierce competition among stores, great efforts are made to maintain a tidy appearance. For instance, many stores employ stock people who constantly reshelve merchandise or rotate merchandise to maintain an orderly appearance of products on the shelves. Paying people to perform such full time restocking can greatly increase overhead costs. Accordingly, stores have begun to use shelving that will urge the products forward such that a fully stocked appearance can be maintained although the shelves are not constantly being restocked.
Some stores have also recognized that reconfiguring the displays increases the time an individual spends in the store shopping. For instance, if products are not shuffled to some degree within a store, an individual that frequents that store proceeds directly to the location of the product they came looking for, picks up that product, pays for the product and leaves the store. On the other hand, by slightly shuffling product location on a periodic basis, the same individual spends more time wandering the aisles or otherwise browsing the product selection. The increase in time often will increase the number of impulse purchases made within the store.
Shelving that urges products forward, however, suffers from at least one major drawback in the shuffling of products. The shelving is difficult to reconfigure in a rapid manner. In addition, various products have different weights and, in some arrangements, the shelving has differing load-bearing capabilities. Thus, moving a large and heavy product to a shelving assembly previously configured for smaller and lighter products may not be possible. Instead, the products and the shelving assemblies would have to be relocated as a unit. This is a time consuming and tedious job.
Recently, a shelving assembly allowing rapid lateral readjustment has been created. Examples of such adjustable shelving assemblies having follower assemblies are disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/518,341, which was filed on Mar. 3, 2000, and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/379,704, which was filed on Aug. 24, 1999, both of which applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. These shelving assemblies comprise track units that are either integral with, or separately formed of, dividing walls. The track units can be adjusted side to side to increase or decrease the distance between the dividing walls. Thus, larger packages can be readily accommodated.
A drawback to simply adjusting the tracks and the dividers is readily apparent in the combined track and dividing wall configuration. In this configuration, the track, and therefore the follower assembly mounted on the track, are not centrally located between the two adjacent dividing walls. While the failure to centrally position the track and follower assembly may have little consequence in smaller and lighter products, such an off-center arrangement increases the wear rate when used with larger and heavier products. The torque created by the follower assembly can cause rapid system failure in some arrangements.
Similarly, if the track is formed separate of the vertically-extending dividing wall, large loads can cause failures in the track over time. For instance, without the vertically-extending dividing wall, the track is more likely to bow in the center over time if unsupported. The vertically-extending dividing wall stabilizes the attached track and provides reinforcement against vertical bowing. Thus, while separating the track and the dividing wall allows the track to be centralized between the dividing walls, the track can be largely unsupported and more susceptible to bowing and breaking along a central portion of the track.
Accordingly, a need exists for an easily adjusted display system that provides the advantages of forward-feeding display systems that admits of rapid reconfiguration while also allowing a more centralized follower assembly and increased vertical support for improved load-bearing characteristics.
Thus, one aspect of the present invention involves a display rack comprising a frame, a base unit and a track. The base unit comprises a generally vertical dividing wall portion and a generally horizontal support surface portion. The track is disposed on the generally horizontal support surface portion and the track carries a pusher block. The pusher block is capable of translating along the track in a generally longitudinal direction and is biased to a forward direction. The track is capable of translating along the support surface portion of the base unit in a generally lateral direction and the base unit being capable of translating along the frame in a generally lateral direction.
Another aspect of the present invention involves a display rack comprising a front panel, a rear panel spaced from the front panel and at least one divider generally extending between the front panel and the rear panel. The divider comprises a support surface and a partition. The divider is laterally slideable relative to the front panel. A track is laterally slideably positioned on the support surface and the track generally extends between the front panel and the rear panel. The track supports a forward biased pusher block and is connected to at least one of the front panel and the rear panel. The track is generally secured from substantial vertical movement and the track at least partially secures the divider from substantial vertical movement.